Toy simulated feeding dish



Aug. 4, 1965 J. R; BECKER 3,202,423

TOY SIMULATED FEEDING DISH Filed 001). 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR JAMES R. BECKER Wizhiww ATTORA/fVS.

Aug. 24, 1965 J. R. BECKER 3,202,423

TOY SIMULATED FEEDING DISH Filed Oct. 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORJAMES R. EEC/(El? ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent C) 3,202,423 TOY SIMULATED FEEDING DISH James R.Becker, Oceanside, N.Y., assignor to Amsco Industries, Inc., Hathoro,Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 404,0347 Claims. (Cl. 272-8) This invention relates to a toy feeding dish whichsimulates the appearance of an observable liquid being consumed as aspoon is passed immediately adjacent thereto.

More particularly, this invention relates to an amusement device inwhich a quantity of liquid, resembling oatmeal or porridge, ispermanently retained in interconnected upper and lower chambers betweenwhich the liquid can pass, the upper chamber permitting the liquid to beseen, as though the dish were full or partially filled, and the lowerchamber being a secret compartment permitting the liquid to be concealedas the spoon is manipulated over the device in simulation of dipping andfeeding. Each time the spoon is placed adjacent to a transparent coverover the upper chamber, it causes the intermittent actuation of jigglingof a valve between the upper and lower chamber such that a quantity ofliquid, approximating a spoonful, trickles into the hidden compartmentgiving the illusion of consumption of the contents in the upper chamber.

As is well known, young children love to play house with dishes, pots,pans and other kitchen utensils, and to mimic real life eating byfeeding of their dolls in imitation of mother. However, because of achilds propensity to spill liquids and foods upon themselves and mothersnew carpet, there is great hesitation to supply with the dishwear theusual viscous eating contents. As a consequence, considerable visualappeal is lost to the child because the special flavor of food articlesis missing and repeated handling of empty containers soon becomes abore.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a toy feedingdish which contains an observable liquid and simulates thecharacteristics of delivery of food'contents without any danger ofspillage during manipulation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy feeding dishcontaining a liquid simulating food which is caused to disappear into asecret compartment in quantities comparable to a spoonful each time aspoon is manipulated adjacent the top of the dish.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a toy feeding dishwhich is realistic in appearance and which can be operated reliably andeffectively over extended periods of time.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide'a toy feeding dish inwhich a quantity of liquid ispermanently contained in connected uppervisible and lower secret compartments, the transfer from the upper tothe lower compartment being actuated by the manipulation of a spoon insimulated'consumption of food, and when the upper compartment isemptied, being refillable by invert ing the dish without spilling-thecontents, with the cycle repeatable at will.

A still further object of this invention-is to provide a liquidcontaining toy feeding dish which fully simulates the viscosity andfoamed characteristics of liquid food's normally consumed by childrenand permits slow progressive disappearance of the liquid duringactuation without actual contact with the liquid being made by thechild.

Other objects of this invention are to provide an intproved device ofthe character described, which is easily and economically produced,which is sturdy in construction, and both highly efficient and effectivein operation.

'ice

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists ofthe details of construction and combination of parts as will bemore'fully understood from the following detailed description when readin conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a toy feeding dish embodying thisinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along lines Z-2 of FIGURE 1, andfurther including an actuating spoon embodied in this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the component parts of the toy feedingdish.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, in which similarreference characters refer to similar parts, the toy simulated feedingdish of the instant invention comprises an outer bowl or shell,generally designated as A, a medial divider B which separates the bowlinto upper and lower interconnected chambers 5 and 19, a transparentcover C, and a valve D actuated by a spoon E for intermittentlypermitting liquid L to how from the upper and disappear into the lowersecret chamber.

The shell A is an integrally formed bowl-like member preferably moldedof a variously colored opaque plastic material, such as polystyrene, forgood impact resistance. It includes a flat bottom 12 having a circularridge 14 which provides rigidity or reinforcement and further acts asa-resting foot. The bottom 12 is gently contoured upwardly into agenerally shallow cylindrical side wall 16, the'upper portion of whichhas a peripheral outwardly extending flange 18 oil-set from thecylindrical wall to define a circular shoulder 20. A circular groove 22is formed in the flange ls'together with a recessed seat 24 forretaining the cover C in complementary disposition therewith. Variouspictorial designs and words may be embossed upon the surface of theflange 18 to add appeal or educational materials. A tubular boss orsleeve 26 upwardly extends from the bottom 12 and acts as a guide forthe valve D. It is to be particularly noted that the outer shell A isopaque since it will form the lower hidden ,or secret compartment 10 inwhich the liquid L can be concealed.

The medial divider B'is also an integrally formed element', preferablymolded of the same colored opaque polystyrene plastic as the shell A.The divider B comprises an upwardly concave tray Sit-oi circularconfiguration having a marginal lip 32'which interfits upon the shoulder20 and is cemented thereto. A central aperture 34 is formed in thecenter of the tray 30 through which the liquid L may flow from the upper5 to the lower chamber 10, and a plurality of circiunferentiallyspacedsmall openings 36, 38 and 4d at the periphery thereof which act asreturn ports whereby the liquid may be returned from the lower chamberto refill the upper chamber when-the dish is inverted. These ports alsoact as vent holes when the liquid L passes through the aperture 34 fromthe upper to the lower chamber. Upstanding ribs 42, 44 and 46 radiallyextend from an area anuularly spaced about the marginal edge of theaperture 34 to the periphery of the lip 32 and divide the tray intocompartments simulating individual serving receptacles for separateitems of food. The ribs 42, 44- and 46 also pass over the respectivereturn ports 36, 38 and 40 and act to conceal them from view. Inaddition, the ribs provide reinforcement and assist in the support ofthe cover C and prevent damage to the latter should external undue forcebe applied to the center portion thereof. Notches 48 formed at the upperinterior portions of the ribs act as a support for a cap 58 whichconceals the vertical reciprocation of the valve D.

The cover C is a flat transparent plastic disk 50 molded of a clearresin, such as methyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride or astyrene-acrylonitrile copolymer. The disk 50 has a downwardly dependingcircular flange 52 which interfits with the groove 22 in the outershellA, the margin of the disk seating within and being cemented tothe recess24 of flange 18. ,Thus, the cover C is mounted flush with the top of thebowl A, and appears generally invisible to the eye so as to permit fullobservation of the upper chamber and any liquid contained therein or thetop of the divider tray B. a

The valve D comprises a hollow plastic body portion 54 containing apermanent magnet 56. A cap 58 is cemented within the notches 48 of theribs andis nori the upper chamber 5 preparatory to another cycle ofmally spaced abovethe valve D. The cap 58 is of a larger diameter thanthe valve and conceals its movement. Both the bodyportion 54 and the cap58 are formed of the same colored polystyrene material as the outershell 1A and the divider B. The body portion 54 includes an uppercylindrical wall member 69, which is dimensioned to freely slide betweenthe inner edges of the ribs 42, 44 and 46, a conical portion 62, whichseats within the aperture 34, and a downwardly depending stem 64, whichis slidably retained within the sleeved boss 26. Themagnet 56 may be aconventional lodestone type bar magnet, an aluminum-nickel composition,

commonly referred to as Alnico, or ferritic magnetized particles moldedwithin a plastic or rubber mass.

The magnet 56 is fully concealed within the body portion of the valve D,and the outer cylindrical wall 6% thereof below thecap 53 gives theappearance of a plug which closes the port of a hot water jacketedfeeding dish frequently employed for keeping infants food hot. With thefeeding dish of the instant invention in normal. position, the valve Dis .of such a weight that it bears downwardly by gravity whereby theconical portion seats upon the margin of aperture 34 and seals theaperture to the flow ofliquid from the upper chamber 5 to the lowerchamber 10. 1 1 The spoon E is formed from a magnetically attractedmaterial such as steel which is plated with zinc or nickel to prevent'rust, and is conventional'in every other respect except that it may beminiaturized to resemble a childs or dolls spoon. Passing the spoon Eimmediately over the cover C adjacent the center thereof, in a normalspooning action, permits it to enter the field of themagnet 56 andcauses the valve D to be slidably elevated for a "moment from its seatwithin the aperture 34. Hence,

a small quantity of liquid L will fiow from-the upper chamber 5 throughtheaperture 34 into the concealed secret lower chamber ltl. Note alsothat the weight'of the valve D is such that it can be lifted from theseat by magnetic attraction. In addition, it is to be observed thatupwardly concave configuration of the divider tray fltlallows the liquidL to drain toward the center thereby giving'the illusion'of the liquidcontents being emptied with each passage of the spoon E. Finally, it"isapparent that the spoon B may havea magnetsembedded therein with amagnetically attractable core in the valve D.

The liquid L is fully contained within the feeding dish of the instantinvention and cannot be spilled. The.

' As the upper chamber 5 is spooned'- and drained of itscontentsthroughthe repeated actuation of the valve spooning. 7

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting,since the invention may be varously embodied, and the scope of theinvention is to be determined as claimed. 7

What is claimed is:

1. A toy simulated feeding dish comprising a container having an opaqueside wall and a closed transparent top, an opaque divider trayseparating said container into an upper visible chamber and a lowerconcealed chamber, a liquid contained within the upper chamber, valvemeans normally sealing the liquid in said upper chamber, and meanscooperating with said valve means from the exterior of said containerintermittently actuating said valve means so as to permit a smallquantity of liquid to drain from the upper chamber into the secret lowerchamber to simulate consumption of. the liquid.

2. The invention of claim 1 including return ports in said divider traywhereby inversion of said container will permit the liquid in the secretchamber to refill the visible chamber.

.3. A toy simulated feeding dish comprisin a shallow opaque bowl, atransparent closed cover on said bowl, a medial upwardly concave traydividing said bowl into an upper visible chamber and a lower concealedchamber, said tray having a central aperture therein, a verticallyreciprocable valve seated in said aperture, magnetic means thereto abovesaid cover and actuating the elevation of said valve wherebya smallquantity of liquid will drain from the upper chamber through theaperture into the lower concealed chamber each time said spoon means ispassed over said cover togive the illusion of consumption of saidliquid. 7 g Q 4. A toy simulated feeding dish comprising a bowlshapedcontainer, a transparent cover on said container, a medial trayintermediate said cover and the bottom of said container dividing aidcontainer into an upper visible chamber and a lower concealed chamber,said tray having an upwardly concave surface and' an aperture centrallydisposed therein, a valve vertically reciprocable in the aperture andnormally. acting as a closure therefor when said container is in uprightposition, a liquid retained in said container selectively in said upperchamber and said lower chamber, magnetic means associated with saidvalve, and a steel spoon, said spoon actuating said valve whenjuxtaposed therewith above said cover and causing said liquid to drainin. small quantities'at a time from said upper chamber through saidaperture into said lower concealed chamber to'produce an illusion ofconsumption of food, and means to return said liquid from the concealedchamberto the visible chamber when the dish v is inverted."

ID, the liquid L passes into the secret lower chamber 10.

I Since only theupper chamber 5 is visible through the transparentcoverC, the chil'd will be satisfied that'a real life feedingactionis'occurring. 'When all of the liquid L has passed into the'lowerchamber. 10, the dish is inverted so that the liquid will then returnfrom the lower chamber .10 through the ports 36,- 38, and 4tl and refill5. A toy simulated feeding dish comprisinga closed container having atransparent top, a medial tray dividing said container into a visiblechamber and a concealed chamber interconnected with each other, a liquidencapsulated in saidcontainer and selectively retained in said visiblechamber and said concealed chamber, a valve in said tray normallyretaining said liquid in said visible chamber when said dish is inupright position, a spoon associatedwith said. container and externallylocated thereto, means coupled with said valve and effecting actuationthereof by juxtaposition of said spoon with the top of said container,said spoon a'ctuatingsaid means and said valve upon being over the topof said container to drain small quantities of liquid at a time fromsaid visible chamber/to said concealed chamber, to give an illusion ofconsumption of food when said dish is in upright position, and theliquid being returned from said concealed 5 chamber to said visiblechamber when said dish is inverted.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said means is a magnet and saidspoon includes magnetically attractable material.

7. A toy simulated feeding dish comprising an opaque container, atransparent cover on said container, a medial tray dividing saidcontainer into a visible chamber and a concealed chamber, said trayhaving an upwardly concave surface and a centrally disposed aperture, aplurality of upstanding ribs radially extending about said aperture tothe periphery of said tray, circumferentially spaced openings in saidtray at the periphery of said tray immediately below said ribs andinterconnecting said visible chamber with said concealed chamber, aliquid encapsulated in said container and selectively retained in saidvisible chamber and said concealed chamber, a valve verticallyreciprocabie intermediate the annulus defined by the inner margins ofsaid ribs and normally seated in said aperture to act as a closuretherefor when said dish is in upright position, a magnet in said valve,and a steel spoon associated with said container and externally locatedthereto, said spoon upon being passed over said top elevating said valvefrom the aperture seat and permitting a small quantity of liquid todrain from said visible chamber to said concealed chamber to give theillusion of food being consumed, and said liquid being returned from theconcealed chamber to the visible chamber through the openings when saiddish is inverted.

No references cited.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

4. A TOY SIMULATED FEEDING DISH COMPRISING A BOWLSHAPED CONTAINER, ATRANSPARENT COVER ON SAID CONTAINER, A MEDIAL TRAY INTERMEDIATE SAIDCOVER AND THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER DIVIDING SAID CONTAINER INTO ANUPPER VISIBLE CHAMBER AND A LOWER CONCEALED CHAMBER, SAID TRAY HAVING ANUPWARDLY CONCAVE SURFACE AND AN APERTURE CENTRALLY DISPOSED THEREIN, AVALVE VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE IN THE APERTURE AND NORMALLY ACTIANG AS ACLOSURE THEREFOR WHEN SAID CONTAINER SELECTIVELY IN SAID UPPER CHAMBERAND SAID SAID CONTAINER SELECTIVELY IN SAID UPPER CHAMBER AND SAID LOWERCHAMBER, MAGNETIC MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID VALVE, AND A STEEL SPOON,SAID SPOON ACDTUATINUG SAID VALVE WHEN JUXTAPOSED THEREWITH ABOVE SAIDCOVER AND CAUSING SAID LIQUID TO DRAIN IN SAMALL QUANTITIES AT A TIMEFROM SAID UPPER CHAMBER THROUGH SAID APERTURE INTO SAID LOWER CONCEALEDCHAMBER TO PRODUCE AN ILLUSION OF CONSUMPTION OF FOOD, AND MEANS TORETURN SAID LIQUID FROM THE CONCEALED CHAMBER TO THE VISIBLE CHAMBERWHEN THE DISH IS INVERTED.